Abstract
This mixed methods research explored the autonomous experiences of South African school students when participating in a science fair. A prominent global goal for school science education is for students to partake in scientific inquiry in order to acquire understanding of science concepts, the processes and skills of science, and the nature of science. This places a demand on teachers as it requires a change in pedagogy from a teacher-centred to a student-centred approach. Student autonomy, has been described as both a rationale for and a characteristic of students doing scientific inquiry. In this research, a quantitative survey questionnaire was administered to 50 students participating in a science fair. The questionnaire sought to establish the autonomy level of students when doing their investigative inquiry projects and the degree of support they received. Thereafter, 5 students were interviewed to elaborate upon their responses and to describe in detail their experiences of doing the projects. The findings of this study revealed that the students enjoyed optimal autonomy and perceived their experience as being empowering and stimulating. It is also suggested that science fairs can provide an opportunity for students to enjoy autonomy in choosing their own topic for inquiry, in designing the inquiry, in doing the inquiry, and arriving at their own conclusions. This autonomy can enable students to experience authentic inquiry, show their creativity and demonstrate critical thinking skills.
Highlights
Science fairs for school students have a long tradition in many parts of the world (Bencze & Bowen, 2009; McComas, 2011)
This study investigates the experiences of students at a national schools science fair hosted by a South African university
Mean score calculations were performed for responses to items related to each construct in order to identify general trends in autonomy across the phases of scientific inquiry
Summary
Science fairs for school students have a long tradition in many parts of the world (Bencze & Bowen, 2009; McComas, 2011). A qualitative study by Schmidt and Kelter (2017), showed that science fair participation increased student understanding of science content knowledge, and positively influenced the attitudes of the majority of students in the study toward STEM courses and careers Such involvement engages students in high-sense practices of science that are enumerated in the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and the Generation Science Standards, 2013). These practices that are often associated with authentic inquiry include “analyzing and interpreting data; constructing explanations; engaging in argument from evidence; and obtaining evaluating and communicating information” This research investigated the experiences of South African science students when doing investigative inquiries for a science fair
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
